JACKSONVILLE, Texas (KETK) – In a recent post to City of Jacksonville, Texas – Government Facebook page, the city announced proposed city charter amendments are being added to the Nov. 8 election ballot.
According to the city’s government page, The Charter of the City of Jacksonville was drafted in 1933, amid The Great Depression. It established Jacksonville as a Council-Manager form of government where the City Council would appoint a City Manager to run the day-to-day operations of the City. It currently sits at roughly 28 pages long.
Three major updates have been made to the charter since 1933. The first was in 1977, the second was in 2001 and the third was in 2008. A brief description of each of the amendments can be found on the city’s website under 2022 Charter Amendments.
The City Council established a Charter Review Committee in 2021 made up of community members. In that time the committee identified an estimated 76 different areas for revision. Out of the 76 possible areas of revisions, 22 will make it to the Nov. 8 election ballot.
Examples of proposed amendments include sections that go against state law and many references to state law that are no longer valid; a provision for the collection of poll taxes; all references to council, mayor, city manager, and others specifically use he/him pronouns and exclude female council member(s), municipal judges, and employees; and there are only term limits for the mayor, not all council members. Each charter amendment can be read in more detail on the city’s website under 2022 Charter Amendments page.